Prelim Needs Advice

[Sarcoidosis]

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I am a prelim pgy II in surg, didn't do well on my absite this year, last year did better than categoricals and was invited to stay on as a prelim II.

I am now left wondering what is better to do go for research at the end, again where and how to find one that will translate into a gen surg residency?
Do I switch and what do I tell the program that I am switching to... oh I didn't do well on the absite and can't get surg so I need to find work and looking for anything that is open?

I need to explain my absites and at the same time seem competitive for positions that open up for pgy ii or pgy iii.

Good luck to the other prelims, life is a lot different than our categorial colleagues.

 

[Chirurgia magna]

I am a prelim pgy II in surg, didn't do well on my absite this year, last year did better than categoricals and was invited to stay on as a prelim II.

I am now left wondering what is better to do go for research at the end, again where and how to find one that will translate into a gen surg residency?
Do I switch and what do I tell the program that I am switching to... oh I didn't do well on the absite and can't get surg so I need to find work and looking for anything that is open?

I need to explain my absites and at the same time seem competitive for positions that open up for pgy ii or pgy iii.

Good luck to the other prelims, life is a lot different than our categorial colleagues.

Hello Sarcoidosis,

I feel for you. I should start by saying that I am the least qualified person to give advice but I do know someone in the same position.
Another option would be to do a critical care fellowship which lasts one year.
Best of luck to you

 

[ACSurgeon]

I thought you had to complete your PGY3 year before qualifying for a CC fellowship?

 

[Chirurgia magna]

Like I mentioned above, I am not an expert on this topic but I know when this person was faced with the same problem as a PGY II, an option offered to him was to stay and do one year of critical care fellowship.
I am not sure if the program people liked the resident but did not have a spot and would rather offer him/her the fellowship to keep them around. To say anything beyond that would be speculation on my part.

 

[filter07]

The easiest option is to repeat PGYII year somewhere else. Of course this just buys you more time to look for a spot but it shouldn't be too hard to find a PGYII prelim spot, so that is one advantage.

CC after PGYII will result in few tangible advantages if at all. Programs may offer this to you to fill in a spot where a warm body is needed but you need to start thinking about yourself and not the program.

Research is another option but I would really think hard about it. This can be another "need a warm body" situation. You could easily spend one or two years in the lab and still not find a residency spot. If you do basic science you may not publish results for a year or two after you are done, which would not help you for finding categorical spots. On the other hand, if you are productive in the lab, you can go to meetings, and if sociable, be able to network and increase your chances a bit. Still I think this is a pretty low yield option.

You don't have to tell people that you are switching specialties due to poor ABSITE. There are always ways to spin things to your advantage but it will take some effort and creativity.

Practically speaking, I would make preparations on multiple fronts. You still have a chance that PGYIII spots may open up between now and July. But in the meantime you can look into labs that you can join. Look at the publication history - what you are looking for is a lot of pubs, not necessarily high impact. Unless you are trying to be an academician, your best bet is to publish often and go to lots of meetings. Finally, look into openings in other fields and see what options are available. Depending on your situation, looking at other fields might be the wisest option. When categorical spots do open up, people are still going to prefer US grads, those with good evals/scores, or some combination thereof. If you have neither of those things then you might face an uphill battle every year. It is a sucky situation and there are limited good options for PGYII prelims so you have to be aggressive in seeking multiple options and giving yourself the best chance of a good outcome.

 

[medocus]

I am a prelim pgy II in surg, didn't do well on my absite this year, last year did better than categoricals and was invited to stay on as a prelim II.

I am now left wondering what is better to do go for research at the end, again where and how to find one that will translate into a gen surg residency?
Do I switch and what do I tell the program that I am switching to... oh I didn't do well on the absite and can't get surg so I need to find work and looking for anything that is open?

I need to explain my absites and at the same time seem competitive for positions that open up for pgy ii or pgy iii.

Good luck to the other prelims, life is a lot different than our categorial colleagues.

This is the advice, I have received. As a prelim, it is always a good option to apply to first year positions and also look for equivalent year positions. It is better to be part of a system, than be out. I understand your predicament, but I think being clinical would be critical. Go for another prelim if you can find one, demote a year if you have to. But once out, it may get very hard to come back. this is only my 2 cents from my limited experience. At the end, you will have to do what you think is best for you.

 

[Winged Scapula]

This is the advice, I have received. As a prelim, it is always a good option to apply to first year positions and also look for equivalent year positions. It is better to be part of a system, than be out. I understand your predicament, but I think being clinical would be critical. Go for another prelim if you can find one, demote a year if you have to. But once out, it may get very hard to come back. this is only my 2 cents from my limited experience. At the end, you will have to do what you think is best for you.

This will only work if he accepts a categorical position. You cannot do more than 3 years as a Prelim and still be BE/BC.

 

[Sarcoidosis]

thanks for the advice,
only thing left is hope that the surgical attrition rate is high this year...🙂...